It’s All About Mindset!

We often hear, “It’s all about mindset!” Well, what is mindset? What does that mean?

It is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation.

Two different types of mindset: fixed (I believe this certain way, therefore nothing will change) or growth (I can change the situation and it can improve).

How to change your mindset?

• Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones.
• Believe that anything is possible, and you have the power to change (it).
• Practice deep breathing exercises to allow bad energy out/good energy in.

What does that mean? I truly believe in the power of mindset and its ability to help us have more control in our life. There are times we can’t control what is happening around us, but we can control how we respond to it.  (Don’t worry, I have to remind myself this all the time!)  Deep breathing exercises help clear your head/mind and allow for change in the flow of energy in and out. I recommend trying this not only at the beginning of each day, but also a few other times during the day (especially during times of stress). 

Let me share a quick story I wrote about a few years ago about an experience I had… I got in the car heading to church this morning 15 minutes late… I even said to the boys, stressed, and a little upset, “I’m not sure we should go, maybe we should just go to the grocery store instead.” But my son in the back of the car, said “No Mom, I want to go to church”… so we went and I’m glad. As we were nearing the Sunday school classroom 15 minutes late, I saw another mom clearly struggling with her child. She looks at me and said “We’re on time aren’t we”… and I replied, “but we’re here.”

More often than not we put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect (I know I do).  This last month has been hard for me. One where many days, honestly, I wanted to hide in my room, close the door, and just sleep the day away… but I couldn’t, and didn’t. I kept showing up.

I was present for my boys, present in my job, and present in my life.  Life isn’t easy, it’s messy. It’s imperfect, and honestly, it’s very hard sometimes. But one thing I’ve learned about this past month from my side business, and many trainings is it’s all about mind set.  It’s how we look at things. We are given a choice every day. To look at the glass half empty, or half full.  I’ve said for a while now, it’s all about perspective, and I really truly believe that is true.

We all have the power to make a difference in this world, it’s how we respond to the hardships that define us, make us stronger, and give us the power within to preserve. I believe we’ve all been given a gift, that it’s how we choose to make a difference that is up to us. We just need to show up and make that choice.

Practice the 3-4-5 Method:

Start with deep breathing. The 3-4-5 method is simple and effective. Breath in 3 counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for five counts. You can do this for a few minutes. Then do some movement, yoga flow, stretching, walk or march in place, do some squats, if it’s nice go outside a few minutes.   Then write down your affirmations you created earlier and say them out loud.  This will be sure to get your day started off in the right frame of mind.  You will start to feel your affirmations working.  You will be more positive, happy, energetic, productive.  This can have a dramatic effect on your overall health as well. By starting your day off with intentions and calm this can better help you deal with the daily stressors.

I hope helps you move from a place of feeling stuck, stressed and frustrated to a place of growth, calmness and productivity.